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PATENi'ED FEB. 16, 1904.-

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W. J. WEIR.

4 LAST. Y uruuynox FILED 00m. 12. 1901.

' no MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented February 16, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. WEIR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE E.BELCHER, OF STOUGHTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 752,317, dated February16, 1904.

Application filed October 12, 1901- Serial No. 78,406. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J; WEIR, of

-New York, in the county of New York and drawings, in which heel part.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my new last. Fig. 2 is a planview,partly in section. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the heel part.

My new last is a hollow divided last and is especially useful as afiller and shoe-tree for the use of shoe salesmen. Hollow lasts for suchpurposes have been heretofore employed, it being obviously necessarythat suh a last should be as light as possible consistent withreasonable durability. Furthermore, in the production of this new last Iemploy a new method of manufacture which results in a last which isentirely novel in its details of construction. While hollow lasts havebeen heretofore known, such a last as I have produced was never beforeknown, for not only is it hollow and divided, but it is also divided ina pcculiar way, as a result of which its strength is -enormouslyincreased and the two parts of which it is made up are also organizedand associated together in such a. fashion that while the dividing-linebetween the two parts of which the last is made up is perpendicular tothe longitudinal axis of the last the heel part swings clear of theforward part when the heel part is lifted on its hinge.

Referring to the drawings, A is the hollow toe part of the last at therear end, and upon the inner side are two bosses at a upon the oppositeinner surfaces, for a purpose to be hereafter explained.

B is the hollow heel part, having upon its forward end a projecting part6. This part B while hollow, has walls upon four sidesviz., the frontwall, carrying the projection b, the two side walls, and the rear endwall.

In its best form the heel part of my new last is formed of onecontinuous and integral piece of wood or-other suitable material and thepart- 6 is also integral with the front wall of the The bosses a; a arealso integral with the walls of the toe part and extend toward oneanother, the spacedividingthe inner faces of these bosses being equal tothe thickness of the part 6 plus a slight allowance for clearance. Thesebosses, it will be observed, are near the upper edge of the walls towhich they are fixed, and the part extends from the upper edge of thewall to which it is fixed and is shaped and proportioned to pass betweenthe two bosses. The part 5 being passed between the two bosses in theproper position, a hingepin w is passed from one side of the last to theother, passing through and connecting the bosses and the part b. Theresult of this organization is that while the division of the last iseflected on a line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis the heel part,swinging upon a center eccentrically placed, swings clear of the forepart in operation.

In making my new last I employ a new method, which has results ofeconomy of material and labor and which automatically,

forms the working parts of the last in their important dimensions togive the necessary close fit. This method consists in sawing a last intotwo parts by a out which separates the heel part from the toe part,leaving a projection 6 upon the forward end, and by the same movementforms a corresponding slot in the'rear end of the toe part within whichthe part b can work, the material removed by the kerf of the saw leavingasufiicient clearance to insure easy motion notwithstanding variationsof temperature and humidity,while the fit of the parts is suflicientlyclose to insure against undue looseness in the connection.

The forming of the hinge-piece b integral with heel part B is animportant feature of my invention, since it would be impracticable or atleast highly undesirable to secure the hingepiece to a hollow heel-pieceboth because of the intrinsic difficulty of securing a hinge-piece,

which is subjected to considerable wrenching blocks of material whichwhen shaped may be fitted together and assembled; but it is obvious thatthis method of manufacture, involving as it does the turning of twoseparate parts in two distinct operations and the subsequent fitting ofthese parts together, is inferior to the method above described of separating an ordinary last into two parts in such a fashion that thefitting is done by the dividing operation, thus saving one turningoperationthe fitting operation-and, finally, also eflecting a saving ofmaterial.

I 'claim.

1. The hollow divided last above described, made up of a hollow toepart; a hollow heel part having a wall across its forward end and aprojecting hinge member, integral with and projecting forward from thefront wall of the heel part within the rear of the hollow toe part andconnected therewith by a pin.

2. The hollow divided last above described,

made up of a hollow toe part having opposed bosses upon its interiorrear walls; a hollow heel part having a wall across its forward end anda projecting hinge member integral with and projecting forward from thefront wall of the heel part between. the opposed bosses and a pinpassing through the bosses and the forward end of the hinge member.

3. The hollow divided last above described, made up of a hollow toe parthaving opposed bosses near the upper edge of its interior rear walls; ahollow heel part; a wall across its forward end and a projecting hingemember integral with and projecting forward from the upper edge of thefront wall of the heel part between the opposed bosses and a pin passingthrough, the bosses and the forward end of the hinge member.

WILLIAM J. WEIR.

Witnesses:

CHARLES S. THURSTON, JOSEPH T. BRENNAN.

